MODULES

WHERE STRUCTURE MEETS FLEXIBILITY

Success Center’s modular approach to content benefits institutions by enhancing student motivation and engagement while providing the opportunity to easily sequence the modules in custom combinations that best meet the specific needs of student communities.

Education Level

Topic

Understanding the Basics of Budgeting

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Understanding the Basics of Budgeting

By far, the biggest reason students cite for dropping out of college is difficulty with their personal finances. Yet nearly 70 percent of students have not attended personal finance classes or workshops in high school and 77 percent have not done so in college.

This module addresses important financial skills that help students determine the amount of money they really have for their budget by:

Understanding Credit

Consumer debt has become part of the fabric of the national economy. Total household debt reached $12.58 trillion in 2016, less than 1 percent below the all-time high in 2008. With interest rates on an upward trend, consumers are expected to face an additional $1.6 billion in borrowing costs for credit cards alone in 2017.

This module teaches students how to:

Define credit and interest

Differentiate among the various types of credit available

Evaluate which types of credit are better suited for particular purposes

Managing Credit Cards

Credit card debt in the U.S. exceeded $1 trillion at the end of 2016, the most since the previous record amount was reduced by the Great Recession and subsequent bankruptcies. Households that carry credit card debt owe, on average, more than $16,000.

This module helps students make good decisions about a form of payment that has become a way of life. It teaches them:

How to differentiate between types of debit and credit cards so they can select the one that best fits their personal needs

The effect credit card usage can have on their credit history and score

Credit card terminology

How making minimum payments on credit card balances affects their credit rating and their finances

Managing Student Loans While in School

This module encourages a proactive approach to managing student loans. It shows students how they can minimize their overall expenses by keeping track of their student loan balances and estimating their future finances. Students will gain knowledge on how to:

YesU: Financial Aid Assistant

According to the National College Access Network, each year only 44 percent of high school graduates complete the FAFSA, which translates to nearly $3 billion in unclaimed Pell Grants, part of more than $20 billion in unused federal aid overall. But the problem doesn’t end with matriculation. Nearly one quarter of college students miss out on continuing financial aid because they mistakenly believe the application process is a one-time requirement. As a result, they experience a spike in cost of attendance between their first and subsequent years, yet another threat to college retention and completion.

This module - developed in partnership with BridgeEdU, a company founded with the purpose of building a better on-ramp to higher education and career preparedness - addresses these challenges by:

Explaining how to complete the FAFSA, including claiming all eligible aid, understanding the timeline for applying, and navigating all aid opportunities (federal, state, college and private scholarships)

Translating all the financial aid lingo into real words that students understand